saw

It’s a great place to talk shop. On Saturday, the 30th NYC Musical Saw Festival will take place in Astoria. Founded by local resident Natalia “Saw Lady” Paruz (above) in 2003, this periodic extravaganza brings together several dozen enthusiasts from all over the world — Germany, India, Japan, South Africa, etc — to promote, discuss, enjoy, and shape the future of a roughly 300-year-old art form: making music with a carpenter’s handsaw.

Attendees can expect solos, jam sessions, saw-related art and workshops. Only five musicians participated in the first festival, but the 2009 one set a Guinness World Record for “Largest Musical Saw Ensemble” with 53 experts taking the stage together. (The record still stands, but many people are expected this Saturday.)

Details: NYC Musical Saw Festival, Trinity Lutheran Church, 31-18 37th Street, Astoria, May 30, 2 pm, $10.

Photo by Natalia Paruz


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